The incongruity is striking. Baseball GMs are bracing for a financial hit given the turbulent economy while they talk under chandeliers and stand on marble floors. Anyway….

These meetings are starting to create a buzz, with more interest and trade fits beginning to emerge. Also before I forget, I will post quick hits from GM Dan O’Dowd’s media session this afternoon. That will appear around 5:30 MST time. Onward:

–Matt Holliday, barring a dramatic reversal, will be traded this winter. General manager Dan O’Dowd made it clear Tuesday that he’s not afraid to play kids or unproven players when I asked him about starting Ian Stewart, Seth Smith and Ryan Spilborghs in the same lineup. Holliday should fetch a big return, but there’s no perfect deal out there. The Rockies want pitching which is why they have spoken with the Rays, who could part with Edwin Jackson or Andy Sonnanstine. Carl Crawford’s name has also surfaced as someone the Rays might be willing to give up for Holliday.

–Garrett Atkins is among the players not working out in Denver anymore. He’s returned to the performance institute in Southern California, where he had trained before. He began his offseason regiment this week and is working out with Milton Bradley, among others. Good friend Chase Utley will be joining the group soon.

–White Sox GM Ken Williams painted an optimistic picture of Jayson Nix this week. He said that Nix will have a chance to compete for the team’s second-base job, calling him a “grinder.’’ Nix was the Rockies’ opening-day second baseman last season. The White Sox are familiar with Nix because they saw him frequently in spring training games in Tucson. The White Sox want to get younger and more athletic which is why Willy Taveras makes a lot of sense there. Williams values speed as much as any GM.

–Agents who have met with the Yankees confirm that the Bombers are prioritizing all the big fish – CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Derek Lowe, Mark Teixeira. The team hasn’t won a title since 2000, and fans paying more than $2,000 a game for seats behind home plate in the new ballpark aren’t going to go for an infusion of prospects. That’s why the Rockies are monitoring the availability of Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy. Hughes is considered a super prospect. Kennedy, a former high school teammate of Ian Stewart’s, is seen as a back-of-the-rotation starter at this point.

Footnotes
Predictions: Both Jake Peavy and Khalil Greene will be traded. …. Pat Burrell lands in San Francisco with good buddy Aaron Rowand. … The Mets sign Brian Fuentes this winter.